A worker mounting a fixture to a building, at an elevated location typically uses a bracket as an interface between the building and the fixture. Typically, a pipe or the like is incorporated into the bracket either integrally or as a separate element, to serve as an interface between the bracket and the fixture. First, the bracket is mounted to the building. After the bracket is mounted to the building at the elevated location, the fixture is mounted to the bracket, also at the elevated location.
On a two or three story building, lights are typically mounted at or near the top of the building, with the fixture holder holding the fixture away from the building in order to give light around the building. A light fixture may, for example, be mounted on a wall or parapet which surrounds a flat roof common to commercial buildings. Brackets for such mountings are available in a variety of configurations, with the fixture itself typically holding the bulb some distance away from the building.
Typically, the bracket can be mounted to the wall of the building in relative safety because the bracket is mounted on the wall surface. However, workers have difficulties with fixture installation and with servicing the light fixtures, themselves, because of the remote position of the fixture, fixture holder, and the like, with respect to safe support loci on and about the building. For example, using a conventional fixture and mounting bracket, the worker stands on the roof to service the fixture. From that position, the worker reaches far out into empty space to work on the component to be serviced - for example to remove a spent bulb, and replace it with a fresh bulb; or to replace a broken globe. Such reaching, of course, presents the possibility of the service technician losing his/her balance, or otherwise becoming unstable, and falling off the roof under such hazardous conditions.
In the alternative, the worker might attempt to reach the bracket, and dismount it from the building. But such brackets are typically mounted to the building with more or less permanent mounting hardware, such that dismounting is difficult. In addition, the overall assemblage of bracket plus fixture is heavy enough to contribute further to worker instability. So this course is not followed.
In some cases, the bulb is simply not within reach. Then the service technician may be lifted up to the fixture in a lift truck, a cherry picker, or the like, or may use other lifting apparatus to reach the fixture.
Such procedures include both the expense of any specialized equipment used, and the expense of the liability when a worker is injured. Whatever method is used, the service technician remains at risk on a precarious perch using conventional technology.
The building offers relative safety from falling, if only the worker could do his work while securely located on the building, e.g. inside the parapet on the roof.
The overall objective of the invention is to provide a mounting bracket for mounting virtually any commercially available fixture (or other application apparatus) on the building near a safe support surface such as the roof, and whereby any subsequent servicing of the fixture can be done over or adjacent the safe support surface without the service technician having to extend himself or herself dangerously beyond the confines of that safe surface.
It is an objective of the invention to provide a bracket for mounting a fixture to the wall of a building, including a wall mount subassembly for mounting to the building, an interface subassembly for serving as an interface between the wall mount assembly and a fixture or fixture holder, with the bracket in total providing both primary load bearing support and primary directional support to hold the fixture in a given (e.g. upright) attitude.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a bracket having load bearing legs spacing the fixture or fixture holder from the building wall below the roof line far enough that the fixture can extend outwardly of the roof overhang and upwardly above the roof.
It is still another object to provide such a bracket wherein the interface subassembly is mounted to the wall mount subassembly by a pivot bolt, such that the interface subassembly and the fixture are mounted for pivotation about the wall mount subassembly. This allows the service technician to pivot the fixture over the roof, where he can safely service the fixture, while the bracket, through the pivot bolt continues to support the weight of the fixture and interface subassembly.
It is yet another object to provide a method of mounting a fixture to a wall by first mounting the wall mount subassembly to the wall, and subsequently mounting the fixture to the wall mount subassembly through the interface subassembly.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a method of servicing a fixture mounted to a building by releasing an interface lock, followed by pivoting the fixture toward and/or over the building, where the service technician services the fixture.
Finally, it is an object to provide a method of servicing a fixture mounted to a building by providing a mount for mounting the interface subassembly such that, in installations where the bracket can readily be reached, the interface subassembly and the fixture can be readily dismounted from the bracket as a unitary subassembly, and displaced onto the roof or other safe working area.